Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This month many of my constituents will be participating in lunar new year celebrations across Reid. My electorate is an incredibly diverse place. We have over 40,000 people of Chinese ancestry and over 12,000 people of Korean ancestry living in Reid. For this reason, lunar new year is one of the most celebrated events in our community's calendar. I remember the festivities last year in Reid for lunar new year. These celebrations took place just as the world was beginning to hear about COVID-19. The pandemic has since caused many disruptions to our lives, but this has made the message of lunar new year more important than ever. This year, 2021, marks the year of the ox, an animal respected for its diligence, patience and hard work. These qualities define the attitude and work ethic of the Chinese and Korean Australian communities in my area. They are also the qualities we need in order to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than before. We must continue to be patient as we work to suppress the virus. We must also be diligent in ensuring we remain COVID safe in our communities. I hope those celebrating lunar new year gain strength from the symbol of the ox and have good health and prosperity in the coming year.